


The Sun Prince

by aryaautarky



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Everyone Is Gay, Hanbin is a royal messenger, Jinhwan is a royal advisor, M/M, NOT historically accurate in the least!!, Yunhyeong is a Prince, chanwoo is also a prince, donghyuk will be revealed soon, junbob are knights, junhwan, junhwan-centric, yundong right at the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2019-10-06 06:08:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17339996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aryaautarky/pseuds/aryaautarky
Summary: Medieval AU: Preparing to be King isn't the only thing Yunhyeong has to worry about- he's also got his hopelessly romantic friends to take care of. And then there's himself...





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to start this fic off by saying that I do not own any of these characters and that this work is purely fiction. I would also like to add that though this is set in an alternate medieval universe, none of what I've written is historically accurate! This is my first iKON fic and English isn't my first language, so feedback is appreciated. Happy reading! xx

“Yunhyeong!”

 _Yunhyeong was surrounded by his loyal subjects, being praised for solving the issue of.. what was it again? Oh well, it wasn't important anymore. He'd solved it, hadn't he? “Long live King Yunhyeong!” They cheered,_   _and he turned his attention towards them once more._ _“My, isn’t the king handsome,” he heard whispered behind him. The young king grinned, looking around him to locate the person to whom the voice belonged, but was instead met with a familiar, angry looking face. He squinted as the face came closer... Was that-_

**_“Prince Song!"_ **

The boy in question woke with a start, coming face to face with a very annoyed Kim Jinhwan. “God, at last. Hanbin has been here three times already in attempts to rouse you. If you want to make it to court in time, you’ll get dressed in the next ten minutes.”

Yunhyeong nodded groggily, jumping out of bed and stumbling over his own two feet in his rush to get washed up and ready. He regarded himself warily in the mirror as he cleaned his teeth. Jinhwan was right- he was the crown Prince Song Yunhyeong II, son of the reigning King Song I. Loved by all who came into contact with him, he was nicknamed the ‘sun prince’ by royals and commoners alike. But as Jinhwan always told him, he couldn’t just rely on his good nature and looks to win people over- he had to assume responsibilities.

 

Jinhwan was something of a prodigy in their kingdom. A commoner by birth and not originally from central Joseon, at the tender age of 15 he had been found by the palace guards, outsmarting some drunk old codgers at cards in one of the village taverns.

Gambling was strictly illegal in the kingdom, and thus the boy had been cuffed and taken before the royal court.

“Kim Jinhwan, fifteen years old. The charge reads as illegal gambling, Your Majesty.” A guard announced gruffly. Yunhyeong’s jaw had dropped in surprise. _Fifteen?_ The commoner boy- who could have easily passed for a girl with his ponytail and pretty face- looked to be no older than himself.

“ _Gambling?_ ” King Song had laughed. “He is but a child, playing adults whose intoxication has marred their judgement. Ah, it is always a shame to prosecute someone so young...”

“Your Highness, if I may,” Jinhwan said as respectfully as possible. “Please allow me to prove my skill to you. I will play anyone you please.”

The king raised a brow in a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “Very well. Seeing as I am in the mood for some fun, I will allow it. _Hyunsuk!_ ” He bellowed, and a man seated on the King’s Counsel stepped forward. Yunhyeong, though being only eleven years old at the time, had the good sense to grimace- Yang Hyunsuk was one of his father’s most trusted advisors and was known to be extremely cunning. He was taken aback at his father’s definition of ‘fun’- this boy, Jinhwan, was done for.

The game of cards commenced, and Yunhyeong watched on nervously despite not quite understanding what was happening. His eyes traveled to the other council members and the aristocracy, who seemed to be jeering and pitying the young commoner in equal measures.

After what seemed like a mere ten minutes, Hyunsuk put down his cards in a flourish. “You have some skill, boy... but it is nowhere near enough.” His eyes seemed almost reptilian to the prince.

“This is true,” Jinhwan smiled serenely, and Yunhyeong thought him very brave to look defeat in the face like this. “But I fear you are mistaken.”

The boy put down two golden dragons and the entire court erupted in gasps and whispers. Somehow, the commoner boy had done it. He’d won.

The rest was history- not only was Jinhwan released of his charges, but he was offered a place in the palace to advance his studies and mentor Yunhyeong. When he came of age, he was appointed the Prince’s royal advisor and the youngest member of the king’s council, seated right next to Yang Hyunsuk himself.

The two boys had grown up together in the palace, along with Hanbin and Jiwon, whose parents were aristocrats.

 

Presently though, he still looked thoroughly displeased with Yunhyeong as he held out dress robes once the prince emerged from the bathing room.

“The royal family has to be at the Court an hour before proceedings commence. You _know_ this. You are better than this.” The advisor never yelled- that wasn’t his style. Soft sighs and moody looks disappointment, ah, that was Jinhwan. Yunhyeong didn’t know which he’d have preferred more.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled quietly, slipping on his heavy silk garments. He adjusted his crown and turned to his advisor. “Do I look alright?”

“Handsome, as always.” Jinhwan conceded, anticipating the sunny grin he got in return. “Come, let us leave.”

 

By some miracle (read: Hanbin, the royal messenger, managing to distract the King and Queen with palace gossip), the royal court had not started before they got there. There was no option of slipping in discreetly, though- once Yunhyeong strode in, all two hundred members of the Royal Joseon Court rose to greet him, bowing low. The prince bowed in response- there was no need, his father had told him, but Yunhyeong insisted. The murmurs of approval at his manners from the other courtesans were always nice to hear- _'truly the sun prince'_. He and Jinhwan quickly assumed their places- the former on his throne on the grand podium next to his parents, and the latter at his seat on the King’s Council, seated to the left of the King and opposite the aristocracy.

 

King Song declared open the court proceedings, and the ceremonial duties commenced: it was a regular court day, so one oath was read out by the king and the rest of the subjects stood and vowed to uphold it. Court days were five days a week, and were imperative to the functioning of Joseon. Any and every matter was brought before the King, with nothing considered too small or insignificant. Yunhyeong recognized the importance of this, and was keen to learn as much as he could.

 

After all the civilian issues had been heard for the morning, two knights entered and Yunhyeong could almost feel Hanbin sigh in relief from across the Court. He smiled. Of the two men before them, the one with the perpetual eye-smile and bunny teeth was Kim Jiwon. He had grown up within the castle after his father, he too a knight, had been killed in battle. Like his father before him, Jiwon had been hell-bent on training to become a knight himself and honour his father’s legacy, and was beyond thrilled when he was selected for the 7th Regiment- one of the most prestigious ranks in the Joseon military.  Of course Yunhyeong too was relieved to see the knight unharmed, but he knew it was different for the messenger. Hanbin and Jiwon shared a... _special_ relationship. Yunhyeong and his cousin Chanwoo had a long-running bet on when they would come clean and acknowledge their feelings for each other.

Yunhyeong was not, however, familiar with the man standing next to Jiwon. The second knight stood a little taller, with expressive eyes and a jawline that looked as sharp as any sword. They presently knelt in front of the king.

“Jiwon!” King Song cheered. “Congratulations on your Regiment’s victory. The kingdom of Joseon owes you a great debt. Kindly introduce the knight next to you.”

“Thank you Your Majesty, but the honor is all ours. This here is Koo Junhoe.” Jiwon grinned, gesturing to the man next to him. “He single-handedly defeated ten enemy soldiers at once, and was pivotal in our victory. He’s one of our best.” Jiwon finished proudly.

It was Koo Junhoe’s first time being inside the royal quarters, Yunhyeong could tell. The young knight’s eyes marveled at the opulent architecture around him, drinking it all in.  The prince couldn’t blame him, he himself found that he had not yet gotten used to the sheer amount of luxury the room exuded. Junhoe’s eyes were like a game of marbles, scattering in all directions before finding purchase. But all wandering stopped when that purchase was apparently found: his gaze had settled intently on the King's Council. Namely, on one Kim Jinhwan.

Yunhyeong watched in amusement as Jinhwan noted the knight staring openly at him, frowned, and pointedly focused his attention back on the king. The advisor was nothing if not professional, Yunhyeong knew, but he could tell that the older was flustered. It took a lot to get a reaction like that from Jinhwan, especially when Court was in session.

When Court has finally adjourned for the day, Yunhyeong and Hanbin made their way over to Jiwon and Junhoe.

“Congratulations!” Yunhyeong exclaimed, noting that they were not in private quarters and settling for giving Jiwon a pat on the back, instead of the bear hug he deserved. “We are so glad that you made it back unscathed- and victorious at that!”

“We are.” Hanbin nodded shyly. “It is wonderful to see you, Jiwon.”

“As it is to see you, Bin.” Jiwon smiled, his glance lingering on him a few seconds too long before he turned to his fellow knight. “Junhoe, May I present to you his Royal Highness Prince Yunhyeong II, and the Royal Messenger, Kim Hanbin.”

Junhoe immediately knelt before them. “It is an honor.”

Yunhyeong felt that he would never get used to such formalities and immediately waved his hand. “Ah, there is no need really, please stand up Junhoe-ssi!”

“He is before the crown prince, of course there is the need.”

Junhoe looked up and his eyes went wide as the object of his interest from the King’s Council- the prettiest man he’d ever laid eyes on- presently walked towards them. He bowed immediately. “S-Sir. May I have the pleasure of knowing thy name?”

Everyone was taken aback at Junhoe’s forwardness. The advisor raised a brow in something akin to amusement.

“You may. My name is Kim Jinhwan, royal advisor to the Prince and member of the King’s Council.” The older said proudly.

“It is an honor to meet you, Jinhwan-ssi.” Junhoe bowed again at a full ninety degrees, determined to leave a good impression. “My name is Koo Junhoe, a knight of the Seventh Regiment. I do hope we have the opportunity to see each other again.”

At this point, Hanbin and Yunhyeong brows were in their hairlines. _Our best, but probably not our brightest,_ thought Jiwon wryly. He’d seen the way the other was eyeing Jinhwan during court- though he supposed everyone had, subtlety was not one of Junhoe’s strong suits. His fellow knight seemed to have tunnel-vision, both on and off the battlefield.

“Keep up the good work and I am sure we will.” Jinhwan smiled, clearly not sure what to make of the other’s enthusiasm, but ever the picture of grace. “Congratulations again.”

 

“Did you see how happy Jiwon and Hanbin were to see each other?” Yunhyeong squealed, jumping into his bed in his private quarters. Jinhwan laughed behind him, arranging their study materials on the large mahogany desk.

“I did. They are quite adorable.”

“Ah, they’re probably in each other’s embrace as we speak. I _love_ love!” The prince gushed. “I cannot _wait_ to have a love of my of my own one day.”

Jinhwan smiled at his friend. “They will be beyond blessed to have you, Yun.”

Yunhyeong returned the smile, the tops of his cheeks slightly pink. It wasn’t as if he was lonely or anything of the sort- he had plenty of friends within the palace owing to his caring nature and sunny disposition. He just had so much love to give- surely, this was deserving of a significant other. But until that other made their presence known in his life, Yunhyeong was quite happy to lavish it on his friends. Jinhwan presently tapped his shoulder, interrupting his musings. 

“Come on Yun, it’s time for your lesson.”

“It’s history today isn’t it?” The prince queried glumly, shoulders slumped.

Jinhwan smiled. “It is, but I think you’ll enjoy this one. I thought we could go over some folk tales... perhaps even a love story or two.” The advisor winked.

Yunhyeong immediately perked up, heart full and suddenly very ready to study. His friends never failed to be there for him past their duties, and were more than deserving of his love.


	2. 2

 

 

As it turned out, that would not be the last they saw of Koo Junhoe. The knight constantly delivered, be it in battle or training. Week after week, he attended the Royal Court in order to receive his due praise or accolade- Yunhyeong found this extremely admirable, if not slightly disturbing... The thing was, the more people Junhoe killed in battle, the more chance he’d have of seeing Jinhwan in Court. Judging by his attendance, Junhoe clearly knew this. The prince shuddered, wondering what the body count must be like.

Owing to his regular presence in the Court, the knight had also managed to accumulate quite a fan club amongst the aristocrat ladies in waiting who would swoon every time he walked past. However, just as he had the first time, Junhoe only had eyes for Jinhwan. If Jinhwan noticed any of this though, he certainly didn’t let on- he kept his eyes trained on the King, only speaking when it was his turn to advise.

“Junhoe,” King Song had laughed one afternoon. “Your presence in this Court is as regular as that of an aristocrat. Do you perhaps perform well to gaze upon its occupants?” His hand gestured towards Junhoe’s little fan club, who were giggling away in their viewing box.

The knight laughed good-naturedly, “Joseon is my first priority, Your Majesty.” He then set his gaze on Jinhwan, as they had been for ninety percent of his time there. “But the Court in itself is most pleasing to view.”

That was too much for Yunhyeong's romantic little heart to take. Forget Jinhwan, he was sold. 

 

 

One frosty January morning, Jiwon and Hanbin hurriedly made their way to Yunhyeong’s private quarters. The prince had summoned both of them bright and early citing an emergency, and Hanbin had even forgone breakfast to run to the knight’s quarters and wake Jiwon up.

“Your Highness!” The both of them bowed in unison, and seeing that they were alone, were immediately at his side. “What is the matter, Yun? What has happened?”

“Oh good, you’re both here!” Yunhyeong beamed. Hanbin was immediately suspicious of his good mood. Well, Yunhyeong was in a good mood ninety-nine percent of the time- but Hanbin didn’t think that it extended to seven in the morning.

Yunhyeong ushered the both of them to his seating area hurriedly. “Thank you both for coming this early.” He started.

“Not as if we had much of a choice.” Jiwon yawned loudly, but was silenced by a pointed pout from Yunhyeong.

“What’s going on, hyung?” Hanbin reiterated, ever-focused.

The prince’s smile returned in full force. “Thank you for asking, Bin. I’ve got an exciting task for us- we are going to set Jinhwan-hyung and Junhoe up!”

There was silence for a few seconds, before Hanbin sighed so hard his soul seemed to threaten to leave his body. Jiwon merely slumped backwards in his seat, thinking about all the sleep he was missing out on.

“ _This_ is what we sacrificed our rest for?” Hanbin didn’t even know why he was surprised at this point. Every time he’d been summoned for one the the prince’s ‘emergencies’, they’d been anything but. Some off the top of his head were: _‘Hanbin! I’ve run out of my favourite lip salve!_ ’ or ‘ _Hanbin! Let’s go watch the romance drama in town square in disguise!’_ and Hanbin’s personal favourite, ‘ _Bin! Can you see a wrinkle near my left eye?!_ ’. Hanbin loved Yunhyeong, but thought that Jinhwan needed to seriously school him on the definition of emergency.

“Oh, don’t look so disappointed!” Yunhyeong chided. When his friends’ expressions didn’t budge, he smiled knowingly- he’d have to pull the ace from his sleeve. “Look, I even went to the kitchens and made us breakfast myself.” He rang a bell and a maid walked into the room, rolling in a tray filled with mouth-watering food.

Jiwon and Hanbin’s eyes went wide.

“On second thought, I have decided that I will assist you in any endeavor concerning Jinhwan and June, your Highness.” Jiwon declared, already up and helping himself to the pork. “Why stop at bringing them together? Let’s get them married!”

The prince rolled his eyes, albeit laughing along. The three boys tucked into the food before them. Hanbin and Jiwon in particular were wolfing down mouthful after mouthful, having seemingly decided that breathing was of secondary importance.

“Is the staff breakfast really that lacking?” Yunhyeong queried, suddenly feeling bad.

Hanbin shook his head. “Of course not, Hyung. But nothing compares to your cooking.” He said truthfully. Jiwon nodded eagerly next to him, mouth too full to verbalize his agreement. 

“Well, alright then. So, will the both of you will assist me?” Yunhyeong asked hopefully.

“Before we jump into anything,” Hanbin asked while putting a finger to Jiwon’s lips, always the rational one. “How do you you know if Jinan hyung likes him back?” The messenger looked wary. “Has he said anything to you, hyung?”

“He has not,” The prince admitted. “But I _know_ he does. I don’t need to be told.”

If Yunhyeong were being honest, he was decidedly surprised at Jinhwan’s attraction to Junhoe. Sure, the knight was astonishingly ruggedly handsome... but then again, so were all of the Jinhwan’s admirers. Plus, the older was quiet, graceful and academic by nature; contrasting sharply with Junhoe’s loud mouth and decidedly chaotic personality. This was the reason that Yunhyeong had not badgered Jinhwan about the knight in the first place; again, it was not as if he hadn’t had admirers in the past that he hadn’t given the time of day. Junhoe would have just been one of many. What confirmed the mutual attraction to Yunhyeong was when just yesterday, Junhoe’s little fan club of maidens had made a beeline for him after a Court session one evening, and Jinhwan's entire face had fallen (read: he’d frowned. Yunhyeong liked to be dramatic sometimes).

“Not that there’s any question of whether June likes him,” said Bobby, reaching for his third serving. “But I must say that I’ve never seen him act this way. He waxes lyrical about him all the time, and even attends those droll Court sessions in the hopes of hearing Jinan open his mouth.”

Yunhyeong had to stop himself from swooning- god, it was all just so _romantic!_ He couldn’t get enough of it. In the prince’s mind, this was a win-win situation because it would either get Jinhwan and Junhoe together, or Junhoe would become aware of Jinhwan’s lack of feelings and stop wasting his time.

Hanbin, on the other hand, was probably the least enthused of the three of them. He was well aware that there was no way that Jiwon, being a knight and all, had enough free time to go prancing around the castle...  _match-making_ , at that. Not that either Hanbin or Yunhyeong had much spare time either- there was never a shortage of messages to be delivered for Hanbin- but the fact remained that both the prince and the messenger’s duties lied within the castle, and Hanbin loved Yunhyeong to bits. Whatever he asked, Hanbin would oblige- as long as he got to whine about it along the way.

 

 

Hanbin’s suspicions were confirmed exactly one week after the three of them had gathered that morning.

 _“_ Who is the crown prince of Joseon? _”_

“Oh my god, I am not doing this again-"

_“Who is the crown prince of Joseon?!”_

“...you, hyung.”

“That’s right. Me. So when I say we should spy on June and Jinhwan today, that means that it shall happen.” Yunhyeong said smugly, packing his spyglass, a water pouch and some seaweed snacks in a little bag. He was nothing if not prepared. Also, his messenger got extra whiney when he was hungry.

“This is a bad idea.” Hanbin groaned, already proving the prince right. “You are mothering them far too much. Let their relationship take its course!”

“What, like it has with you and Jiwon?” Yunhyeong asked pointedly. The younger looked down, face as red as the royal robes he wore. “Be grateful that I haven’t turned my attention to the two of you yet.”

Needless to say, Hanbin stopped complaining. The two of them made their way to an old tailor’s room that looked directly into the Courtyard that the two unsuspecting prospective lovers had been called to.

“Any minute, now...”

As if on cue, Jinhwan stepped in to the space, glancing around for the prince he was supposed to meet. Not a minute later, Junhoe ran into area, panting.

“Junhoe-ssi,” Jinhwan said in surprise. “What brings you here?”

The knight, immediately more self-aware in the presence of the other, straightened up in shock. “Jinhwan-ssi,” he bowed low, ever the gentleman. “I was informed of a meeting of the guards in this Courtyard.”

Jinhwan smiled secretly at his manners. The young knight had been trying his hardest to impress him, he knew. Whether he wanted to return the attention was yet to be seen.

“I too was supposed to receive the prince in this spot...” the advisor murmured. “Perhaps we have been misinformed, and our time has been wasted.”

“Not mine.”

Jinhwan cocked his head. “Oh?”

“You,” Junhoe proclaimed, loud enough for Yunhyeong and Hanbin (and possibly the dungeons below) to hear, “Are far more beautiful than any other maiden in the land. Any second in your presence I am most grateful for.”

“That must be easy to declare,” Jinhwan didn’t miss a beat, his smile growing coy, “When you battle unkempt, barbaric men for a living.”

Junhoe laughed and gently took the shorter’s small hand in his. “I am sincere in my intentions, Jinhwan-ssi.”

“My, what pretty words out of a knight’s mouth.” Again with the smirk. The two eavesdroppers shared a look.

“I write pretty words all the time, if that’s what takes your fancy.” The knight looked somewhere between offended and desperate now. “I write poetry.”

Jinhwan’s brows shot up at this. “I am most pleasantly surprised.”

“Come to the Gardens at midnight.” Junhoe pleaded. “I’d be honoured to show you.”

Jinhwan opened his mouth to reply and Yunhyeong just _knew_ he was going to refuse- the older was far too loyal and disciplined to leave the Prince’s Wing- so Yunhyeong stepped out from his hiding place and into the corridor, acting as if he’d just arrived.

“Your Highness!” Junhoe quickly bowed. Jinhwan looked suspicious at his sudden intrusion, but bowed as well.

“Junhoe-ssi, we meet again.” Yunhyeong smiled sunnily. He turned to the oldest. “Hyung, I’ve just received word that I will be traveling to my cousin’s kingdom tonight, for the next three days.”

Jinhwan, being on the King’s Council for a reason, looked skeptical. “The news is quite sudden. Is Prince Chanwoo alright?”

“U-Um...” It wasn’t princely to stutter, the older had told him. But Yunhyeong hadn’t thought this far, and he could practically see Jinhwan’s mind pulling apart his lie. Junhoe, however, was grinning in the corner like a palace lap dog, so at least _someone_ was appreciative of Yunhyeong’s efforts. “All is fine, Hyung. He just enjoys my company, that is all.”

“Shall I accompany you, your highness?” Jinhwan asked courteously, but despite his tone Yunhyeong could see a suspicious quirk at the edge of his mouth; _god, can you just let me let the both of you-_

 “That will not be necessary, but I thank you, hyung. You are relieved from your royal duties to me until I return. Now, would you please tell Hanbin to inform the guards of my departure? Junhoe, you too are dismissed from this meeting.”

Both of them bowed and left in the same direction. Yunhyeong had to hold his laughter in when Junhoe offered his arm to Jinhwan and the older swatted it away, shooing him off in the direction of the knights’ quarters.

The prince then hurried back to the tailoring room, coming face-to-face with a thoroughly unimpressed Hanbin, who had obviously heard the exchange outside. He was aggressively munching on the seaweed snacks Yunhyeong had packed.

“I take it we are going to visit Chanwoo, then?” He raised a brow, lips set in a downward curve as he chewed.

“Don’t look so glum!” The prince cheered, smile living up to his sun prince title. “You love the food at their palace. And I’ll see to it that you stay in their new guest suite, how’s that?”

The messenger made a noise of dissent. “I wouldn’t even care if you offered me the King Jung’s room in its entirety. It takes five hours to get there, hyung! You know I get carriage-sick easy!” Hanbin whined, slouching back in his seat.

“I truly am sorry, Bin. I panicked." Yunhyeong walked over and started giving him the beginnings of a shoulder massage in apology. Hanbin hummed appreciatively, loosening up the tiniest bit. Yunhyeong's movements suddenly stilled as he remembered something. "Oh, Bin...” He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. “Actually, you’d better leave here soon. I just sent Jinan hyung to look for you.”

Hanbin’s grumbles intensified as he got up and stalked out of the room, taking the seaweed snacks with him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry that the chapters are so short and the english is still a bit wonky, i'll work on that! thank you for reading <3


	3. 3

 

 

The Jung Palace where Chanwoo resided was slightly smaller than that of the main Palace in Central Joseon, but no less regal. After five long hours of traveling and bickering with Hanbin, Yunhyeong dozed off in the last hour, only to wake up to the gorgeous view that was the gardens and fountains leading to the castle’s entrance. Smiling wide, he jostled his messenger awake.

“What the _fu_ -”

_“We’re finally here!”_ Yunhyeong cheered loudly before Hanbin could finish. He was still the crown prince of Joseon, and it absolutely would not do to have his cousin’s royal staff hear their guests swearing. Seeing where they were, Hanbin immediately straightened up and mumbled a sheepish apology. Yunhyeong just squeezed his hand in understanding.

As they drew closer to the palace, they could make out Chanwoo himself waving from the castle steps.

“Hyung!” Chanwoo exclaimed, receiving Yunhyeong in person at the entrance of his palace. “Father received your messenger but an hour ago. What is the matter? Is there an emergency?”

Yunhyeong chuckled nervously. “It is, er, slightly difficult to explain... May we please discuss it in private?”

“But of course.” Chanwoo nodded. “I hope ‘tis not another wrinkle on thy pretty face.” He teased with a wink.

“ _Another_ _?!”_ Yunhyeong gasped in horror as he patted his robes for his pocket mirror. Chanwoo laughed at his cousin fondly, leading them through the palace.

“It is just as frivolous...” Hanbin muttered under his breath as he carried Yunhyeong’s luggage behind them.

 

“So you came all this way... to let Jinan hyung and a knight have a date?”

They were in Chanwoo’s private quarters now: just as luxurious as Yunhyeong’s own, except with far less mirrors, romance novels and face lotions lying around. Unlike his cousin, the Jung Prince was very low key about his royal duties- it seemed he was content to play cards with royal mentors (he particularly enjoyed playing Jinhwan) and study irrigation technology for the rest of his life. Owing to this and his staunch rationality, Yunhyeong had more than half a mind to name him a royal advisor when the time came for him to take the throne. Besides, Chanwoo too had spent much of his childhood with Yunhyeong and had subsequently grown close with the rest of his cousin’s royal staffers.

“Well when you put it like that, it sounds silly.” Yunhyeong pouted, crossing his arms. A noise of dissent was made from the far left of the chamber.

“It is silly either way, hyung. You know how carriage-sick I get on long journeys.” Hanbin whined, still nauseous while he lounged on one of the plush sofas in the room. Yunhyeong winced- Hanbin really hadn’t been joking about his carriage-sickness; they’d had to stop some four times on their way here.

Chanwoo laughed as his cousin gave Hanbin an apologetic pat on the back. “Ah, perhaps there’s another reason for your illness, Hanbin hyung... can you not bear to be away from your favourite knight for a mere three days?”

Hanbin went red in the face, immediately sitting up despite his condition. “How do you- _Yunhyeong hyung!_ The palace’s biggest source of gossip is not the aristocracy, but _you!”_

Chanwoo immediately dissolved into fits of laughter while Hanbin chased Yunhyeong around the room with a pillow, stopping only when his stomach yelled at him to stay in one place. What Chanwoo had said both was and wasn’t true, but Hanbin really didn’t want to think about the disarray that was his love life at the moment. Not when he already felt so nauseous.

Yunhyeong giggled to himself until he noticed how much more significantly stressed his messenger looked after Jiwon had been brought up. It was fun to tease the both of them, because there was some truth to the ragging. Perhaps too much.

Yunhyeong knew Hanbin to be comprised of rules and regulations, loyalty, hard work, a determination to succeed at any task given, and intense streaks of depression and anxiety that only seemed to tone down whenever Jiwon was around. Other people were not medicine, Yunhyeong knew, but Jiwon was the closest thing that Hanbin had.

In contrast, Jiwon was a ball of potential energy, waiting for any excuse to turn kinetic. When they were younger, this meant that a good deal of Yunhyeong’s childhood was spent covering up for his friend's clumsy accidents; but when Jiwon turned sixteen and took up military training all that chaotic willpower was channeled into something productive- not only for Jiwon himself, but for the kingdom as well. Most of all, though, at twenty-two years old Jiwon was no longer the haphazard teen he once was, running his mouth whenever he pleased. He thought before he spoke and was more careful when dealing with others- this of course, lead Hanbin to fall for him even more.

However, on the flip side, this also meant that the two were dancing in circles. While Yunhyeong was almost certain that Jiwon would have been the first one to confess, this new development in his personality had shot down the possibility in lieu of the knight’s over-thinking. Yunhyeong was not sure of what exactly was going on between them at this moment, but was certain that nothing was official yet. It was one of the most frustrating things in the prince’s life, almost on par with Joseon's derelict irrigation system.

Nevertheless, Yunhyeong quickly got up and bowed lowly to Hanbin in apology; immediately lifting the mood as the younger burst out laughing, scolding him for bowing to a non-royal. Chanwoo laughed too as he brought out some bottles of soju, getting ready for the night ahead. 

 

***

Meanwhile, back in Central Joseon, as the clock struck midnight a certain royal advisor slowly slipped out of his room; only to stumble in shock as he came face-to-face with the knight he was supposed to meet with.

“ _What- what are you doing here?!”_ Jinhwan whisper-yelled. “This is the Prince’s Wing. You should have waited for me in the Gardens.”

“I am aware of where we are.” Junhoe replied, looking mighty pleased with himself. “You are looking at the newest addition to the Prince’s Guard. I am here to escort you, Jinhwan-ssi.”

The royal advisor laughed in disbelief. Of _course_ Junhoe had applied for the Prince’s Guard, knowing that Jinhwan resided in this wing. “You are full of surprises, Koo Junhoe.”

“Keep your eyes on me and I promise to surprise you for the rest of my life.” Junhoe declared loudly. The advisor would’ve guffawed outright if he wasn’t trying his hardest not to grin back. “Shall we?” Junhoe offered his arm to escort him. Jinhwan rolled his eyes, albeit still red in the face, and walked on ahead. Junhoe followed, still grinning.

 

Jinhwan had admittedly never come to the the Palace Gardens in the nighttime, but he concluded that they were stunning no matter what time of day. Guided by the moon, they wandered to a little clearing where large, fragrant white flowers were predominantly planted- clearly Junhoe had been here before- and made themselves comfortable under a tree amongst the ferns, sitting side by side. The stars were out in what seemed like thousands, lighting up the night sky and bathing the area in an ethereal glow.

“I come here some nights to write poetry.” Junhoe explained, confirming the older’s thoughts. “The moonlight’s quite bright some nights.” He didn’t seem embarrassed about this in the least and Jinhwan was glad. None of that toxic masculinity for him, thank you.

“You are quite the romantic.” Jinhwan observed. He decided he liked it, it was the perfect amount of softness to balance out the rough.

“Are you surprised?” The knight asked.

“Well... yes,” Jinhwan admitted. “My only other point of reference for knights is Jiwon.”

Junhoe laughed at that, throwing his head back and exposing the long column of his neck. Jinhwan suddenly felt thirsty.

“Would you like to hear one of my poems?” Junhoe asked enthusiastically, turning towards him. Jinhwan was immediately charmed.

“I’d love to.”

Junhoe produced a small book from his robes with a flourish, making the older giggle. He then went through the pages of the book with gusto, as if he’d already had one in mind. Jinhwan noted that, from what he could see, the book seemed to be chock-full of notes, poems and even little illustrations.

Junhoe cleared his throat and began.

_“I saw a flower, blooming in the morning._

_It turned dark, and I saw the flower again._

_As the world turned from bright to dark,_

_The beautiful colour turned dark, too._

_I learned from the flower,_

_That bloomed in the day and faded in the dark._

_You, bordering the bright and the dark so precariously,_

_Have always been a flower.”_

Junhoe finished with a soft smile, looking satisfied with himself. He turned to his companion, however, and his expression immediately fell.

“Jinhwan-ssi? What is wrong?”

Jinhwan hadn’t even realized he was crying till Junhoe had pointed it out. He hastily wiped at his eyes with his robes, feeling his face grow hot.

He wasn’t crying over the poem- though he thought it was honestly, truly beautiful. It’d really struck a chord in him, and he wondered who Junhoe had in mind while writing it.

Alright, so maybe the poem was ten percent of the reason for his tears. But the other 90% was because his nerves had finally gotten the better of him.

Jinhwan was nervous, realizing now that he really had no experience in the romance department. This he owed to many reasons- primarily because he already had commoner roots, unlike many that resided in the Palace, and didn’t want a potentially tumultuous personal life to add to the odds against him. To add to this, he was also the youngest King’s Council member. He was aware that he was being held to a higher standard than others in the Royal Court (i.e. Yang Hyunsuk, a complete womanizer) but he supposed that was just his fate. He had worked hard to earn the respect he commanded in Joseon. Suitors, crushes, confessions and the like had come and gone, but Jinhwan had never let himself indulge in them for fear of sullying his reputation. Until now, apparently.

The young advisor sensed Junhoe growing increasingly uneasy at his silence and forced himself to speak.

“I apologize... honestly, you are being wonderful. I just- um. Well, I have never been courted before. I am not familiar with how this works.” He explained. He hoped he didn’t sound as pathetic as he felt.

“Never been courted?” Junhoe repeated, eyes wide. “What- how could someone as _exquisite_ -”

“Of course I’ve had admirers,” Jinhwan cut in before the knight could make him blush even more. “But I have never reciprocated their advances. It never seemed worth it to me. I...” Jinhwan laughed, but it was without mirth. “I haven’t even had my first kiss.”

The knight fell uncharacteristically silent and Jinhwan immediately regretted opening his mouth. He’d probably revealed too much too soon. He didn’t blame Junhoe for wanting to back off after this- this was definitely more emotional labour than it was worth. Standard cost-benefit analysis. He didn’t even realise that he was tearing up again when two large, warm hands framed his face.

“Thank you for working so hard for Joseon. You have a lot to be proud of.” Junhoe started, sounding so completely sincere that Jinhwan could only stare. “You do so much for the kingdom... it is only right that you should have the same be done for you. If you’d let me, I would like to be that person. In time, of course- for as long as you feel comfortable, Jinhwan-ssi.”

“Hyung is fine, Junhoe.” Jinhwan looked down, trying to hide his blush. “…but alright. Let us try this.” He took a deep calming, breath. “Your poem was wonderful, by the way. The flow was… beautiful.”

“I am glad you liked it!” The younger said cheerily. “I try to have them resemble their subject.” he added, winking. _Huh, so the poem was about me_ , Jinhwan mused.

“You speak as if unaware of your own beauty.” The advisor replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Do you find me beautiful, hyung?” The knight smirked. They were right back to their usual banter now. Jinhwan was so grateful for the lack of awkwardness between the two of them, especially after feeling so vulnerable just moments before.

“Do not flatter yourself, June.” The advisor rolled his eyes. “I would have to renounce my place on the Council before denying your good looks.”

Junhoe laughed along, feeling inexplicably happy. He got to call Jinhwan _hyung_. And Jinhwan had just sub-consciously called him June.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem Junhoe recites in this chapter is his own! It's the one that he recites on a Star Road episode, available on iKON'S V-Live channel. It's one of my favourites from him and never fails to make me feel safe and understood <3
> 
> I'm sorry for the late update, I've been super busy with university and moving houses! I promise that there'll be a bit more double b in the next chapter (which is already 75% complete, so expect that a bit sooner). For now, thank you for reading <3 feedback is always appreciated!


	4. 4

 

 

Hanbin was more than happy to return to the Song Palace, finally free of traveling, the stuffy carriage, Yunhyeong’s dad jokes, his motion sickness and the unfamiliar beds. A certain knight’s mouth on his neck right now certainly had nothing to do with it.

They were currently making out in a large supply closet- Jiwon had gotten word of Hanbin’s arrival in Central Joseon and hadn’t wasted a second in finding him and whisking him away.

“ _Jiwon_ ,” Hanbin moaned aloud as the knight licked and nipped at the sensitive flesh. “No... No marks where they can see, please...”

Of course Jiwon didn’t listen, sucking harshly till he was sure he’d marked the younger.

“You’re mine.” Jiwon growled, grinding their bodies together. His hands found purchase on the messenger’s ass and squeezed. “Are you not, sweetheart? I want the whole palace to know.”

Hanbin could only nod and whimper in response, bucking his hips up for more friction. He was impossibly hard right now- Jiwon always knew exactly how to rile him up. The knight was about to undo their robes then and there when Hanbin’s hand suddenly stopped him, gripping tightly. Jiwon didn’t even need to ask as they made eye contact- someone was near. Namely, palace guards.

The two of them held their breath till the footsteps passed.

“That was close.” The messenger exhaled, leaning back. The knight nodded, lifting a hand to stroke the other’s hair.

“...What if they caught us?” Jiwon asked suddenly. “Would it be all that bad?”

Hanbin frowned, and Jiwon’s movements stopped. “We are supposed to be performing our royal duties.” He replied sternly. “Not kissing in musty wardrobes.”

“Yes, but what is the most that could happen?” Jiwon pressed, wearing an expression that Hanbin couldn’t quite place. “We are model staffers within the palace. Surely we’d just get a slap on the wrist, at most.”

Hanbin opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, unsure of whether to speak. “Well, other than our reputations being tarnished...” Jiwon rolled his eyes but let him continue. “You are aware that, upon being discovered... they’d- everyone would know about this. About _us_. The whole palace.”

He felt he was right in reiterating this piece of information- him and Jiwon had started fooling around a year ago, a drunk accident after a ball, but neither of them had ever talked about what they were in the period that followed. Hanbin was never quite sure of where they stood with each other. He’d been so afraid of upsetting their delicate balance, going so far as to not even telling Yunhyeong or Jinhwan- the uncertainty was eating him up inside.

“You’re ashamed of me.” Jiwon’s voice cut through his thoughts like a knife, sounding both hurt and accusatory. Hanbin’s head shot up in surprise.

“ _Me_?” The messenger asked in disbelief. That was the last thing he thought he’d hear the knight say. Jiwon, as proud and brave as they came, was the one feeling insecure? “Ashamed of _you_? What on earth makes you think that?!”

“Why else would you say-”

“How could I _not_ when-”

Light suddenly streamed in as the closet doors were swung open.

“Well well, what do we have here?” The palace guards voiced boomed into the space. When their eyes finally adjusted and saw who it was though, they both blinked multiple times in surprise. “Oh... Jiwon-ssi and Hanbin-ssi.” They looked just as confused as Hanbin felt. He supposed it wasn’t every day you caught a knight of the 7th regiment and the royal messenger in a cupboard together. “What... what are the two of you doing in here?”

The messenger sighed. There were two ways this could go- Option A, which was in compliance with the Palace Rules, was that they’d be taken in front of a royal or an advisor, seeing as they’d been caught fooling around on duty. Option B was them convincing the palace guards to let them off the hook- it would be easy, seeing as both of them had good reputations and were actually quite friendly with the guards, Raesung and Chaeyoung.

“Just take us to His Royal Highness, please.” Hanbin said tiredly. Rules were rules, and he was admittedly a stickler for them. Plus, he reckoned now was as good a time as ever to let Yunhyeong know.

The guards nodded and Jiwon and Hanbin stumbled out of the closet awkwardly, following them to the Prince’s Wing. If Hanbin was correct, this was their first time being disciplined and though it was not that serious, he didn’t feel too good about it either.

“What the hell, Bin?” Jiwon hissed, sounding half angry but mostly nervous. “Why did we not just ask to be let off?”

“I thought you wanted to get caught?” Hanbin snapped back. The knight opened his mouth to retort but was silenced by their arrival at Yunhyeong’s quarters.

“We request a meeting with His Royal Highness regarding a matter of staff discipline.” Raesung announced gruffly.

Yunhyeong’s aide nodded and went inside to convey the message. She returned moments later with an apologetic look on her face.

“I am sorry, but His Highness is busy at the moment. He said he would be happy to see you tomorrow afternoon.”

Jiwon seemed to deflate in relief but Hanbin was as determined as ever.

“Madam, would you be so kind as to add that Kim Hanbin and Kim Jiwon are the staffers in question?” He said politely. “If it is not too much trouble.”

He could feel the knight glaring at him but Yunhyeong’s aide simply smiled at his manners and agreed. Surely enough, she came back moments later nodding her head.

“This way, please.”

The four of them- the two guards, Hanbin and Jiwon- entered and made their way through the spacious quarters till they arrived at the prince’s study, to find.... _oh_. Jinhwan was here with Yunhyeong, evidently in the middle of a lesson.

Hanbin immediately started to regret his decision to come clean- he wanted to tell Jinhwan too, of course, but not like this. They were both similar in the way that they lived their lives according to palace regulations. Hanbin valued Jinhwan’s opinion of him greatly, and hoped that it wouldn’t be tarnished after this meeting. Jiwon was looking at him with pursed lips, evidently thinking the same thing.

Yunhyeong looked surprised and confused, while Jinhwan schooled his features into his customary calm, cold expression. It was all exactly as Hanbin had expected. Oh well, he supposed now was as good a time as ever.

“Ahem,” Chaeyoung started. “Your Highness, we are here as Hanbin-ssi and Jiwon-ssi were discovered in a supply closet this afternoon on the second level.”

If Yunhyeong’s brows could have shot upwards off his face, they would have. Hanbin would’ve laughed if it weren’t so inappropriate.

“I- I see.” Yunhyeong said, looking slightly bewildered. “Hanbin-ssi and Jiwon-ssi, would either of you care to elaborate?”

Hanbin chanced a look at Jiwon then, because they hadn’t discussed this bit. To his surprise though, it was the elder who answered.

“We were... kissing, Your Highness.” The knight told the truth, looking resigned. Hanbin couldn’t help but feel a rush of affection at that- Jiwon knew how much he valued honesty and following orders. But what came next made his jaw drop. “We have been doing this for around a year now. I… I am in love with him, Your Highness.”

This time, even Jinhwan’s facade cracked as his eyes widened comically. Hanbin could not believe what he’d just heard- Jiwon, the most wonderful, maddening man he’d ever known, _loved_ him? The fact that he’d made no assumptions about Hanbin’s own feelings- though he most certainly felt the same- made it even sweeter.

“A-As am I, Your Highness.” The messenger found himself stuttering. Jiwon sent him a relieved, ecstatic grin that lit up his insides.

“Very well.” Yunhyeong was fighting to keep his excitement in check, Hanbin could tell. “Guards, you may leave now. Thank you for your service, I will deal with them accordingly.”

Raesung and Chaeyoung bowed and left, amused looks on their faces. Hanbin had no doubt that the news would spread through the palace like wildfire. The moment the door closed behind them, the prince was on the couple with an excited squeal, enveloping them in a tight hug.

“ _Yes_!” He cheered, absolutely thrilled. “Finally! Oh, what wonderful news!” Hanbin and Jiwon couldn’t help but blush and laugh along as they jumped and hugged each other in the middle of the room.

“ _Yunhyeong!_ ” Jinhwan scolded, though he too had a smile on his face. “Do not neglect your royal duties! Give them their penalty first.”

“Ah yes, yes, the penalty.” The prince muttered hastily, detaching himself. “Alright, you will have the standard punishment for this offense- the both of you need to take shifts on the palace’s Night Patrol for the next week.” The couple groaned in unison. “In addition to this,” Yunhyeong continued, looking smug, “I also order that you tell me every last detail about thy relationship. Right this second.” He quickly turned to Jinhwan with big, hopeful puppy-dog eyes. “May we please postpone our lesson? Just by an hour?”

Jinhwan sighed, albeit chuckling. “I suppose this could be considered an... extenuating circumstance.”

The three boys cheered and crowded around Jinhwan this time, drawing him into a hug. This time, the advisor laughed freely with them and congratulated the couple on _‘finally getting their heads out of each other’s asses’._ Hanbin caught Jiwon’s eye over Jinhwan’s head- an easy feat- and the couple could do nothing but beam at each other. Hanbin’s heart had never felt so full.

 

 **

 

Later that night, Jinhwan snuck out of his room to meet Junhoe in the gardens. He was less worried about being caught now, especially as he’d figured out that Yunhyeong approved of Junhoe. Besides, unlike his friends earlier today, he wasn’t technically on active duty in the nighttime. Technically.

“Hanbin and Jiwon are together!” He sing-songed, skipping towards his favourite knight. Junhoe chuckled at his antics, immediately taken by how goddamn _cute_ the older could be.

“Yes, and the sun rises in the East.” Junhoe said matter-of-factly, getting up to greet other. Jinhwan let himself be hugged until he grasped what the knight had said. He turned to Junhoe in shock.

“Pardon me- what? You knew about them?”

 “Did you not?” Junhoe asked, now looking genuinely surprised. “Yes, of course I knew.”

Jinhwan shook his head. “It was obvious that they fancied each other, but neither of them ever spoke of it to us until today.” He then frowned. “I did not realize that you and Jiwon were close.” Jinhwan had been friends with Hanbin and Jiwon since he was fifteen. Yunhyeong had known them since birth. Why hadn’t they been told?

“I do not think that ‘close’ is the right word for it...” Junhoe explained, stretching his arms and yawning. He looked so soft like this, and Jinhwan wanted to jump into his arms. “But there is a certain understanding you have when you fight alongside someone, you know? Before every battle, Jiwon hyung always asks me to tell Hanbin that he loves him, should anything happen.”

Jinhwan’s mouth hung open in surprise, now understanding.

“That is quite romantic.”

“It is.”

“What do you ask Jiwon to do in return?” The advisor asked, curious. He wondered if Junhoe had had any previous relationships- with that face, Jinhwan was certain he did.

“Before meeting you?” The knight winked, and Jinhwan was disarmed again, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. The older elbowed him in the ribs and Junhoe laughed in his loud, carefree way. “I tell hyung to tell my family that I love them.” He replied, sincere.

“That is very sweet.” Jinhwan smiled. The younger was definitely far more sensitive than he presented himself in general. The advisor appreciated his vulnerability. “You know what? We should spend time together- you, me, Jiwon, Hanbin, Yunhyeong. Perhaps even Chanwoo if his schedule permits it.”

Junhoe was surprised but also nervous about the sudden request. Clearly Jinhwan was serious enough about him to want to introduce him to his friends, but he also understood that this was a test. If he didn’t impress them, he was sure he’d have no chance with the advisor, given how close he was to them. That was what was making him nervous- Junhoe was not exactly the most sociable man around. He took time to warm up to people, and was only able to really be himself once he was comfortable. A good example of this was his relationship with Jiwon- he’d known the older for the past five years but had yet to form a meaningful friendship with him.

“Stop thinking so hard.” Jinhwan teased, his little fingers coming up to smooth the caterpillar brows that were presently furrowed on Junhoe’s face. “You aren’t very good at it.”

Junhoe broke out of his thoughts with an offended gasp. “Ah, ‘tis always the cute ones that prove to be evil.”

The two of them laughed together for the next few hours, speaking about everything and nothing. Junhoe decided that Jinhwan was worth the social awkwardness that came with meeting new people. If he was lucky, maybe he’d make some friends out of it too.

 

**

 

“So...”

“So.”

Hanbin met Jiwon’s eyes and the pair immediately started giggling like schoolboys. They were currently carrying out their punishment on the Night Watch- patrolling the palace and keeping an eye out in general. Jiwon had to admit that it’d been pretty swell so far, him and Hanbin got to pair up and walk around the castle holding hands. It was actually quite romantic, if he were being honest.

“So I hear that you love me.” Jiwon winked, nudging the messenger’s side. He couldn’t see that well in the dark, but he knew that Hanbin’s face was now red- he blushed easy.

“You are so juvenile!” Hanbin mumbled, swatting the knight’s arm. “I-I heard you love me too.”

Jiwon stopped, pulling the younger into an empty sitting room and settling on the couch, bringing Hanbin on to his lap. He proceeded to kiss him all over his face, much to the younger’s delight.

“Enough!” Hanbin giggled, making no move to stop Jiwon.

Jiwon gave him one final peck and admired the man in his lap. Hanbin was so beautiful... beautiful when he was his brooding, moody self, but especially beautiful to Jiwon when he was laughing- all dimples, smile just a little too wide for his face. He was the purest being Jiwon had ever seen. He wanted to give him the whole world.

Hanbin caught his eye and brushed the hair out of his face gently.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Jiwon smiled. “Merely pondering how lucky I am.”

Hanbin grinned, before remembering something he wanted to ask the knight about.

“Hyung... earlier today, right before we got caught by the guards. You accused me of being ashamed of you.” Jiwon squirmed under him. He clearly remembered. The younger frowned. “Where did that come from?”

Jiwon looked down, feeling embarrassed. He’d really hoped that Hanbin wouldn’t have remembered but knew there was no chance of that- the messenger remembered everything. It was pretty much in his job description.

“I was feeling defensive.” Jiwon admitted. “Especially when I thought that you may not share my feelings. But even if you did not, I shouldn’t have acted out in that manner... I apologise.” Jiwon felt so grown up, talking about his feelings and taking responsibility for them. He hoped the younger appreciated his efforts.

“That is alright, hyung.” Hanbin whispered, recognizing this and kissing his forehead. It was good to know that Jiwon also had his own insecurities- Hanbin supposed it was selfish, but it made him feel less inadequate. He gave Jiwon a long, deep kiss, trying to express just how much he loved him. He followed it up with a quick kiss on his nose, before climbing out of the knight’s lap and holding his hand out.

Jiwon raised a brow in question and Hanbin tutted.

“We still have our patrol duties, remember? Come on.”

Jiwon made a show of grumbling and rolling his eyes, but got up and took his lover’s hand. He got the feeling he’d follow Hanbin anywhere.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have some double b! And it only took four chapters to get here!! Lmao, thank you for sticking with the story so far <3 now that some of the gears are in motion, we can finally work up to some drama- stay tuned! xx


	5. 5

 

 

 

All was seemingly well in Joseon, and Yunhyeong couldn’t help but feel proud of his four idiot friends- yes, he even considered Junhoe a friend now. This was largely in thanks to a get-together that had occurred earlier in the week- Jinhwan had organized a small, private dinner in his quarters for their friend group and had invited the younger knight along.

Yunhyeong thought it had gone splendidly. Of course, he and Hanbin did have to keep their smug remarks to themselves about how they were the ones that had secretly set Jinhwan and Junhoe up in the first place, but it was satisfying to watch them subtlely flirt nonetheless. Yunhyeong also suspected that Jinhwan had probably already figured it out, but never mind that.

The night was everything the boys could’ve wanted as a respite from their royal duties- good food from the palace kitchens, games of cards and copious amounts of soju that Yunhyeong was sure had to be from Jinhwan’s own collection- he’d never tasted anything like it before.

The alcohol proved to be just what Junhoe needed to get over his nerves and socialize. He was still a little weird, if any of his obscure poetic references and random (loud) noises were anything to go by. But the prince was pretty weird himself, and he appreciated the knight’s character.

“So Junhoe, tell me.” Yunhyeong started with a tipsy grin. This was the perfect opportunity for the prince to get to know the knight: Jinhwan had gone to call for more food and Jiwon and Hanbin seemed to be lost in their own world. “What do you do for a living? Where do you see thyself in ten years? What are thy interests?” The prince had watched many dramas in the town square (in disguise, of course) and was often tickled by the scenes where the protective father would give their daughter’s love interest the third degree. He wanted to do the same for Jinhwan. He was already around ninety-percent in favour of the knight, but he didn’t have to know that.

Junhoe, however, looked more confused than intimidated. “I- um, I serve you for a living, hyung.”

There was silence for a good five seconds before Yunhyeong realised his error and the room erupted in raucous laughter- it seemed that Jiwon and Hanbin had heard the entire exchange. Yunhyeong went beet red from embarrassment as he immediately moved to hide his face in his sleeve.

“ _How_ could you forget that?!” Hanbin asked in exasperation, albeit still laughing. 

“That was a complete and utter failure.” Jiwon howled, clutching his stomach.

“...What is going on?” Jinhwan asked as he re-entered the room, startled by all the noise. Yunhyeong desperately tried to shut Hanbin up by throwing a cushion at him, but the younger dodged it easily.

“Yunhyeong hyung just asked Junhoe what he did for a living!” The messenger managed to say through his subsiding giggles.

Jinhwan looked from Junhoe to Yunhyeong twice, searching for confirmation. When Junhoe just laughed and the prince said nothing, he chuckled in amusement.

“Are you not offended, June-ah?” The advisor smirked, joining in the fun of teasing the prince. “You risk your life for Joseon and the prince can’t even remember your occupation!”

“I was just- I meant- Junhoe, _of course_ I remember!” Yunhyeong shrieked, mortified.

  _“Yun, it is not princely to stutter!”_ Jiwon sing-songed, imitating Jinhwan’s usual scolding and making the room crack up even more. Yunhyeong stared up at the ceiling in shame, wondering how he could get himself out of this mess. A light tap on his shoulder roused him from his thoughts.

“Your High- forgive me- _hyung_ ,” Junhoe started. He was still smiling, which eased Yunhyeong's mind a little. “Do not worry about their teasing. I am not offended in the least, I swear it.”

“Are you sure?” The prince asked earnestly. “I truly am sorry. In fact, I will grant you one royal favour- ask for whatever you wish!”

Noises of surprise and disbelief were heard from Jiwon and Hanbin while Jinhwan launched into a lengthy tirade on how Yunhyeong really shouldn’t be just handing favours out. A royal favour in Joseon was when an immediate member of the reigning royal family bestowed wish of sorts to a lucky recipient- this recipient could ask for whatever they wanted, bar the throne. As Jinhwan's lecture went on, Yunhyeong was beginning to feel uneasy about his decision- he’d only met Junhoe two weeks prior. A hoard of troubling thoughts invaded his brain- would the knight want gold? A castle of his own? How was the prince going to explain that to his father?

“I think I’ll use my favour now, if that is alright with Your Highness.” Junhoe finally said, all serious. Yunhyeong nodded nervously, and even Jinhwan looked apprehensively at his potential love interest.

Junhoe looked at the everyone’s concerned faces and let out a hearty laugh.

“…Would you please go get us more soju, Yunhyeong hyung?” The knight grinned. “We seem to have run out.”

Laughter ensued, and Yunhyeong got to his feet immediately to get the alcohol, grinning away. He decided at that moment that he really did like Junhoe.

Jinhwan watched the entire scene with a tender smile on his face.

“I would say you perhaps passed.” Jinhwan winked, settling down by Junhoe’s side. The knight readily threw an arm over his shoulders, emboldened by the alcohol. Jinhwan’s little noise of satisfaction was his reward.

“I was not aware that I was being tested.” Junhoe raised a brow, amused.

“Come now, surely you’d have caught on by now.” The older chuckled. When the knight’s expression didn’t budge, Jinhwan rolled his eyes fondly. “Well, you passed anyhow.” Junhoe’s answering grin seemed to make the room a little brighter.

“Do I perhaps get a reward?” The knight whispered, bringing his lips to the shell of Jinhwan’s ear. A full body shiver took hold of Jinhwan, and he wondered for the nth time since meeting Junhoe about the effect that the younger had on him. Snickers quickly pulled him from his reverie, as he looked up to see Hanbin, Jiwon and Yunhyeong looking at them intently. It reminded Jinhwan of the way that the ladies-in-waiting gossiped during court proceedings, and he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

He pulled away from Junhoe, noting the slight pout on his face. He made a mental note to reward the younger, some way or another.

“Alright, that’s enough!” Jinhwan announced, putting his hands up. “Who wants to tease Yunhyeong about his crush on Chanwoo before he realised they were cousins?” Impassioned noises of enthusiasm and one of indignation were heard across the room.

_“ME!”_

_“I’LL HAVE THE LOT OF YOU LOCKED UP, I SWEAR IT!”_

 

***

 

As great as that night was, things were decidedly not going well for Yunhyeong today. Firstly, he’d been late to the royal court session. Secondly, his father, quite obviously annoyed at his tardiness, had asked him a serious of questions on the history of the kingdom in front of the entire court, of which his son managed to get only one out of three correct. He was then branded an ‘ _embarrassment to Joseon_ ’, prompting tears that he’d never been very good at hiding. Seeing as Jinhwan was Yunhyeong’s mentor, the older also received a lengthy berating by the hot-headed king, which had only made the prince feel worse.

Yunhyeong had fled to his room the moment court had adjourned, avoiding the looks of concern littered on his friends’ faces.

_‘My, what a pity that there is nothing in the sun prince’s pretty little head,’_ he’d heard from the general direction of aristocracy, but just didn’t have the heart to glare.

Jinhwan watched in concern as Yunhyeong practically ran out of the room. He quickly attended the ensuing King’s Council meeting, which he sat through in anger, irritated that the king would embarrass his son like that when he knew just how sensitive he was. Afterwards, he went straight to Yunhyeong’s private quarters.

“Yun?” Jinhwan asked softly as he poked his head into the chambers. “May I come in?”

“I suppose,” A reply came from a suspiciously large heap of blankets on the bed. “Seeing as it will be the last time you see me. I am going to run away.”

Jinhwan sighed fondly, closing the door behind him. The younger had always been sensitive, especially around the ones he cared for most. It was a great contrast in temperament to his father, who took more of a tough-love approach.

“Is that so?" The advisor teased, joining him on the edge of the bed. "Oh dear, what will Joseon do without your beautiful face?” 

“What of mine when they have yours?” Yunhyeong pouted, sticking his head out of his blanket fort.  He hugged his pillow and refused to look at his guest. “Didn’t Junhoe call you the fairest maiden in the land?”

“Yun!” Jinhwan exclaimed in surprise, blushing uncontrollably and momentarily forgetting his task of comforting the other. “It is most certainly not princely to _eavesdrop_ -”

“I know, I know.” The young prince sighed, managing a wry smile at the elder’s reaction. Jinhwan was so calm and collected the majority of the time- it was nice to finally be able to rile him up about something. “What of the two of you, though?” Yunhyeong pressed. “Do you like him? Romantically?”

Jinhwan looked down, thinking hard. He wasn’t quite ready to open up about his feelings yet; especially when he wasn’t even sure of what those feelings were, but he really did want Yunhyeong to feel better.

“I... do not know yet. There is something there, but I am not quite sure of what it is.” He said truthfully. He then looked up at his friend. “But what I do know, Yun, is that today’s events were hardly your fault.” Yunhyeong made a face, clearly not in the mood to go back to the day’s events, but Jinhwan was having none of it.

“Yun, you are an extremely capable prince who is going to make a fine king one day. Regarding what happened today at court... Your father knows that history is one of your weak subjects and that is why he chose to quiz you on it, out of _pettiness_. We can add an extra hour of study on that tonight, if you’d like.” Yunhyeong’s smile returned in a glimmer of gratefulness, and his advisor continued. “And please do not fret about me getting told off. It happens often enough to all of us in private King’s Council meetings, trust me.”

“Still,” Yunhyeong grimaced, feeling quite sorry for the older man. “I apologize for letting you down.”

“You could never.” Jinhwan said, completely sincere. In all honesty, he knew Yunhyeong to be much too harsh on himself, while not holding others to the same standard. In fact, the prince’s only fault (apart from his occasional narcissism- but Jinhwan didn’t want to be a hypocrite) was just how generous he was; he gave too freely and without expectations.

 “Thank you for making me feel better.” The prince smiled. He then held out his arms shyly for a hug and Jinhwan was overcome with just how precious Yunhyeong could be when he wasn’t dragging Hanbin off on his misadventures or taking too long to get ready. He made a big show of sighing before finally giving in to the hug, patting the younger on the head affectionately.

Just then, a succession of knocks was heard at the door before Hanbin came barreling into the room, panting.

“Bin!” Yunhyeong called, now in a much better mood seeing that his friend had evidently run all this way just to check up on him. “Do not worry, Jinan hyung comforted me!”

“What? No!” Hanbin shook his head, and the two boys on the bed then noticed the tears forming in the messenger’s eyes. “That is not why I am here... war, hyungs. There is war on the Eastern border."

Jinhwan went still and Yunhyeong forced himself to speak.

“W-which troops?” _Jiwon and Junhoe?_

“The cavalry and the 7th regimen.” _Jiwon and Junhoe._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so sorry that A) I haven't updated in so long and B) that this is chapter is somewhat half-assed. If you've read some of my other works, you'll know that I was a VIP and all that shit that went down with Seungri really upsetted me so I had to take a break. I've already written most of the next chapter out and it's decidedly better than this, so stay tuned! xx


	6. 6

 

 

 

Jinhwan felt as if he were in a daze for the next few hours, so far removed from his usually collected self. From what he had understood at the King’s Council meeting that ensued, it was a small, minor skirmish on the outskirts of the kingdom. It was certainly nothing major, and very minimal casualties were to be expected; but it made him feel sick to his stomach to think that Jiwon, and now Junhoe, too could form a percentage of those wounded. The troops had been deployed immediately as the King had not wanted the war to drag on- Jinhwan hadn’t even gotten to see the two knights before they left.

Neither had Hanbin, who looked to be having a panic attack in his room two days after the knights had been deployed.

“I just- _oh god,_ I...” Hanbin couldn’t even get the words out as he cried and stuttered. Jinhwan ran a soothing hand up and down the younger’s back, hushing him and encouraging him to take his time. He’d been the natural choice to comfort Hanbin, especially as Yunhyeong was busy with his own royal duties.

“They should be back any day now, Bin-ah,” Jinhwan said gently, bringing his handkerchief up to wipe the younger’s tears. “At today’s Council meeting we were informed that the battle is nearly over.”

Hanbin nodded shakily, taking deep breaths and doing his best to calm himself down. Jinhwan offered him his handkerchief and he took it gratefully.

“I know.” He said, as was his reflex response. _“I know.”_ More resolute now, like he meant it. “It is not the war, hyung, it’s just… _me_. If I weren’t crying over Jiwon I would be hyperventilating over something else.” Now more calm, Hanbin ran a hand through his hair in frustration- the thoroughly disliked inefficiency of any sort, and it bothered him deeply that the most inefficient thing in his life sometimes was himself.

“It is your _anxiety_ , not you.” Jinhwan reminded him tenderly. “You are not your mental illness, Bin-ah.” It saddened him to see Hanbin looking so dejected. “You are the backbone of this Kingdom, Hanbin. The palace wouldn’t go one hour before descending into chaos, if not for you as Messenger.”

Hanbin smiled for the first time that day, grateful for the kind words. It meant more to him coming from Jinhwan, whom he regarded as something of a role model.

“Do you really mean that?” He asked quietly, a proud smile on his face.

Jinhwan nodded with a chuckle, deciding to indulge him. He put his hand up and touched the left side of his chest twice, a common symbol of respect in Joseon.

“I swear it.”

Hanbin laughed and Jinhwan grinned.

“Try and get some sleep now, alright?” The advisor got up, ready to retire to his own quarters. “Hopefully we shall have some good news tomorrow.”

 

** 

 

Surely enough, there was news to be had the next day. The large bells in the central courtyard were rung at the crack of dawn, their chimes heard throughout the palace complex, indicating that indeed, the soldiers had returned from war. The extra peals at the end signified that they had won the battle, as expected, and the palace was alive with excited chatter. Jinhwan hurriedly made his way to the Palace gates, having hastily put his official robes on. He’d be there to welcome the troops back regardless, but it was his royal duty to be there too. He quickly spotted Yunhyeong in the front of the large crowd that had gathered and made his way there.

Yunhyeong’s face lit up when he caught sight of his mentor, motioning to stand by him.

“They are back!” He whispered excitedly, squeezing Jinhwan’s hand.

The older squeezed back and grinned. It had been a relatively small war- a mere three days- but Jinhwan decided that that’d been quite enough for him. He was more than ready to have Jiwon and Junhoe back already. He caught sight of Hanbin, who had clearly just woken up given his messy hair, shuffling hurriedly to his usual spot. Despite his disheveled appearance, he had his eyes set intently on the palace gates. Jinhwan knew he felt the same.

In a grand crescendo, the trumpets sounded and the palace gates were opened, and the Calvary made their way in. Those that had gathered to welcome them immediately started their applause. Yunhyeong had been there to welcome troops back to Joseon from the time he was born, as was his duty as crown prince, and was glad to note that the soldiers were definitely in some of the best shape he’d ever seen. Of the three hundred that trickled in, some were even greeting the crowd in cheers, evidently in high spirits. As the last of the foot soldiers made their way in, another trumpet was blown, indicating that the knights were about to make their entrance.

The clapping grew louder still as Jiwon strode in, leading his regiment through the gates as he’d no doubt done in battle. Hanbin, Jinhwan and Yunhyeong all traded secret excited beams as they applauded even harder. Regiments were usually comprised of fifty or so knights- specialized, highly skilled and qualified soldiers that had proved their unrivalled commitment to Joseon through means of countless trials. Junhoe had only recently been appointed a knight, so it was natural that he would be in the back of the battalion.

Or so Jinhwan thought- until the last of the knights entered the palace compound and there was still no sight of him. An uncomfortable lump formed in Jinhwan’s throat and his vision started to go blurry. Yunhyeong immediately clutched his hand in support.

“He may be one of the injured,” The prince spoke hurriedly, his words bringing Jinhwan back to reality. The advisor managed a nod in response, breathing in deep while trying to get a grip on himself. Yunhyeong was right- if Junhoe was injured he’d be in one of the carriages that went straight to the royal infirmary.

They waited patiently throughout the entire welcoming ceremony, which comprised of the King’s speech that welcomed the soldiers back and thanked them for their service to the kingdom. The formalities then finally ended in lieu of a specially prepared feast. The crowd finally broke to make their way to the elaborate buffet, but Jinhwan made a beeline for Jiwon. He found that Hanbin had already gotten to him, arms wrapped around his lover in a tight embrace. Jinhwan forgot his worries for a second and appreciated the sight before him, genuinely happy for the two of them.

“Jiwon!” Yunhyeong called, having just caught up to the group.

The said knight the broke away from the hug, revealing a nasty bruise on his cheek. He looked absolutely exhausted. Jinhwan and Yunhyeong rushed to hug him.

“I am glad you are alright.” The advisor said as he pulled back. “What happened?” Jinhwan’s voice was barely above a whisper. _What happened to Junhoe?_ He wanted to yell.

“You know how he is sometimes,” Jiwon mumbled, face scrunched up in pain. It was clear who he was referring to. “Bull in a china shop. Never one to shy away from the fire.”

“I-Is he…”

“Not dead.” Jiwon clarified, but still looked grim. “You should… see for yourselves. He should be in the infirmary.”

Jiwon offered to come with, but Jinhwan insisted that he stay and partake in the feast- he’d only just returned from war after all. Harbin urged him to do the same and he reluctantly agreed. Yunhyeong had no choice in the matter: as prince it was his responsibility to host the meal and take the time to personally thank those who had returned from battle.

So that left Jinhwan, who was admittedly also supposed to stay on as a formality, but couldn’t wait another second without seeing Junhoe. He slipped away quietly and quickly made his way to the infirmary on the other side of the palace, a large wing with its own designated tower and quarters.

Jinhwan had never been here before. When he fell ill, the royal physician usually visited him in his own private quarters. But he understood the need for such a large area now- as he reached he was met with the sight of roughly a hundred or so wounded soldiers being treated, with doctors and nurses moving hurriedly from one patient to the next.

“Can I help you, Sir?” A nurse asked behind him, sounding unsurprisingly tired.

Jinhwan turned around to face her, feeling slightly overwhelmed. “Y-yes, please. I’d appreciate that. My name is Kim Jinhwan, of the King’s Council. I am looking for one Koo Junhoe; I hear he’s just been admitted…”

Hearing his title, the nurse immediately bowed in response. “Oh- Jinhwan-ssi! Yes, most certainly. Please bear with me while I look through our records...”

Jinhwan bowed politely in thanks, but his head was on the verge of exploding with all the bloody commotion in the room. All around him, there were nasty wounds and anguished cries from those that’d been wounded. A body, presumably dead given the white cloth it was wrapped in, was carried past him by two medical staffers and Jinhwan felt himself grow queasy.

“Jinhwan-ssi?” The nurse called him, trying to get his attention. “If you would please follow me. The knights are attended to in a separate chamber from the foot soldiers, you see...”

The advisor nodded silently, following the nurse out of the chaotic main chamber and into a much quieter, more organized space. Around ten beds lined the walls and a few knights were already leaving after getting themselves cleaned up. But one remained- and that was Junhoe, lying motionless in one of the beds.

Jinhwan hurriedly made his way over, just as a physician was finished wrapping a bandage around his head.

 _“W-What?”_ Jinhwan asked, tears immediately springing to his eyes and rendering him unable to even finish his sentence. Junhoe- usually full of life, emotion and noise, was laying unconscious in bed, looking extremely pallid. Jinhwan could almost make out the veins beneath his skin. The doctor turned to him with a look of sympathy.

“I am afraid he suffered a head injury, my lord, and is not regaining consciousness.” The physician began. “We’ve done all we can to clean and treat the wound, but it is now up to Junhoe-ssi to pull through. If he doesn’t wake within four days, I fear he may die of dehydration.”

“Four days?” Jinhwan repeated in shock. “That’s hardly-”

“Any time at all, I am aware.” The doctor finished for him. He looked apologetic. “Unfortunately, we lose many of our soldiers this way… There is no known method in which we can force-feed them, you see, so the body dies out as it would without food or water.” Jinhwan let out a little sob at that- it sounded an absolutely _horrible_ way to die. Junhoe would’ve hated it, no doubt. The physician handed him a handkerchief, which he gratefully took.

“My advice would be to prepare for the worst. I’d also say to visit often… there’s no real evidence to support this, but some say that it helps to rouse the body.”

 

*

 

After every battle that Joseon fought, there was usually an ensuing King’s Council meeting to discuss its outcomes, what the costs to the kingdom had been, what could be improved upon and the like. For some ridiculous reason (read: King Song’s impatience) these were usually scheduled to be held on the same day that the soldiers returned. Jiwon, thoroughly exhausted, presently entered the King’s meeting room, bowing lowly.

“Ah, there is our hero!” The king cheered, clearly in good spirits. “Is that everyone? Are we ready to begin?”

“Kim Jinhwan seems to be absent, Your Majesty.” Yang Hyunsuk noted in mock disinterest. Yunhyeong, who was also present at the meeting, narrowed his eyes at him- the man was always trying to one-up Jinhwan for no reason at all.

“Where is he?” King Song bellowed, growing quickly irritated as he always did.

“Father,” Yunhyeong answered, putting on what he thought was a winning smile, “I actually sent Jinhwan on an errand, ’tis my fault he is absent. My apologies.”

“An errand?” The king asked, brow raised. “Where was Hanbin?”

“With me, Your Majesty.” Jiwon supplied quickly. “We- ah- Harbin and I are something of an item, you see.”

Now the king really looked surprised. Yunhyeong shot Jiwon a look of astonishment, amazed at how gutsy the knight was. Then again, Yunhyeong supposed that fighting battles for a living really helped put things in perspective.

“Well… that is certainly a new development.” King Song muttered, still shaking his head in amusement. “Very well, then. Yunhyeong, please take note of future Council meetings and do not send Jinhwan-ssi gallivanting around the palace prior. Make sure you update him on this meeting when you receive him next, you hear? Good. Now, let us begin…”

As soon as the meeting was over, Jiwon approached Yunhyeong looking worried.

“It is unlike him to miss a meeting.” Jiwon noted. Yunhyeong nodded in agreement.

“Junhoe’s condition would have affected him deeply.” Yunhyeong said, feeling immensely sorry for he young knight.

“We should go look for him,” Jiwon suggested. “I do not think he should be alone.”

“I’ll go,” The prince insisted. Jiwon looked ready to argue with him but Yunhyeong wasn’t having any of it. “Please Jiwon-ah, you have only just come off the battlefield. Rest up and enjoy your time with Hanbin for now. You have earned it.”

For the second time that day, mostly because his muscles were screaming at him in fatigue, Jiwon nodded in reluctance and made his way back to his private quarters. Of course, Hanbin was there waiting for him. The knight couldn’t help but smile.

“I have missed you.” The knight murmured, walking up to him and holding him close. Fighting battles _did_ help put things in perspective.

“As have I.” The messenger replied, stroking his cheek affectionately.

 

* 

 

Meanwhile, Yunhyeong spent the next few hours wandering around the massive palace complex in search of the royal advisor. He checked Jinhwan’s private quarters, his own quarters, the gardens, the dining hall, the numerous studies and libraries… all were empty. He then realised that the older was probably still in the infirmary- it was quite late at night by this time, but Yunhyeong was determined to find him.

Indeed, after surprising the royal medical staffers with a visit from the prince himself, Yunhyeong was briefed on Junhoe’s condition and shown to the knight’s infirmary quarters, where Jinhwan was still huddled up from morning. The advisor had fallen asleep by Junhoe’s bedside, and Yunhyeong could just about make out the tear tracks on his cheeks.

Junhoe himself looked pale and gaunt, and it really unsettled Yunhyeong to see him like this. After saying a silent prayer for the knight, he walked over to Jinhwan and put a hand on his shoulder to gently rouse him.

“Mmmmph?” Jinhwan woke with a start, looking pretty tired himself. His eyes were still red and puffy from all the crying he’d done.

“Hyung, it’s late…” The prince said quietly. “You should go back to your own quarters.”

“No, I cannot.” Jinhwan shook his head, still groggy but resolute. “The doctor said- he said…” One more look at Junhoe’s face was enough to set him off again. Yunhyeong’s heart broke for him as he cried.

“Are you sure?” Yunhyeong asked, though he already knew the answer. Jinhwan was one of the most stubborn people he’d ever met, and there was no way to persuade him once he’d made up his mind. The older nodded in response, just as the prince had predicted.

Yunhyeong sighed, and called for his aide. Someone was with him in an instant.

“You are to set up a temporary suite for Kim Jinhwan-ssi in these quarters, understood? Please make sure that a comfortable bed, his robes and his reading materials are arranged in this same space within the next hour. That is all, dismissed.” The aide nodded, bowed and left to do his bidding (and Jinhwan’s bedding).

Jinhwan himself turned to the younger with a grateful smile.

“Yun… thank you. That was incredibly kind of you.” He said sincerely, wiping his eyes.

“Don’t mention it.” Yunhyeong waved it off. He then paused. “But really, do not mention it, especially to Father. He already noted your absence at today’s meeting- Yang, that snake, pointed it out.”

Jinhwan sighed. “Of course, it was unprofessional of me to not attend after all. I will carry out my usual duties tomorrow without fail.”

“I am sorry, hyung; I know you would rather be here with him.” The prince said, ever the picture of compassion. Jinhwan reached out for his hand and squeezed it.

“That is alright, Yunhyeong.” He then turned to the motionless body beside them, as if trying to convince himself. “It will be alright.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mannnn, it is so hard to write Jiwon instead of Bobby! I always find myself correcting that when I'm re-reading lol, and sometimes I don't even notice it and go ahead and post. Anyways, here's the new chapter! As always, thank you for reading <3 let me know what you think xx


	7. 7

 

 

 

The day after the war had ended was excruciating for Jinhwan. Whenever a problem presented itself to him, he took pleasure in being able to find the most logical solution to it. He’d learned from a young age from his time on the Council that whatever came his way needed to first be understood, and then be immediately tackled. Emotions and feelings played no part in the decision-making process.

But now, when faced with the prospect of losing Junhoe, his mind was completely flummoxed. Instead of focusing on the facts and trying to keep a leveled head, Jinhwan’s mind spiraled, propelling himself into thoughts of what could’ve and would’ve been. Intrusive thoughts plagued his brain. This only added to his frustrations- why was he thinking about all of this when he didn’t even know how he felt about Junhoe? He wasn’t completely certain of his feelings as of yet; it was much too soon... _right?_

Jinhwan didn’t know what to think anymore; but he knew he had to get it together fast, if King Song’s current yelling at him was of any indication.

“First you fail to attend a Council meeting without appropriate notice, and then you proceed to daydream during today’s discussions!” Yunhyeong’s father bellowed at him. He was angry, and for once, Jinhwan did not think his aggression misguided. They were currently at a King’s Council meeting and Jinhwan hadn’t been listening at all- he’d been lost in thought throughout the entire discussion on the the admittedly important subject of the Joseon budget. To make matters worse, when his opinion was asked he’d replied with an eloquent: _“hm?”_

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” The young advisor said with as much feeling as he could muster, bowing low. “I can assure you that it will not happen again.”

“It happening once has been more than enough,” The King’s voice boomed. Jinhwan resisted the urge to punch Yang Hyunsuk, who was seated right next to him, in the face. Yang wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was snickering. “You have been awarded one of the highest privileges of the land by being named an advisor, Kim Jinhwan. I am starting to think that perhaps I was too hasty in my decision.”

Jinhwan’s blood ran cold as the King spoke- was the monarch really thinking about removing him from the Council? Once appointed, Council members served a life-term: Jinhwan would be the first in Joseon’s history if he were to be forcibly removed.

“N-no!” Jinhwan stuttered, panic rising up in his stomach. His anxiety made him spit out exactly what was going on: “Your Majesty, please, I have an explanation. Do you remember the knight Koo Junhoe? He is, um, in a critical state in the infirmary right this moment and I am finding it hard to concentrate. Again, I am sorry for my poor performance today.”

At the young advisor’s confession, the King looked visibly placated. He sighed and nodded.

“I hereby relieve you of your Council duties for the next three days.” He announced. “My thoughts are with Koo Junhoe; I am sorry to hear of his misfortune. Alright, dismissed!”

Jinhwan’s mouth hung open in shock for a few seconds before he thanked the King profusely for being so kind. With a few bows for good measure, he collected himself and proceeded to exit the chambers.

“Jinhwan.”

The advisor gulped, turning around to face the King. He hoped he hadn’t changed his mind already.

“Do not try to bear your problems by thyself.” King Song gave him a knowing look. “There is no need. I do not wish to have to threaten your place on this Council in order to uncover thy conundrum the next time around, understood?”

Jinhwan stopped in surprise before his lips quirked into an understanding smile- it seemed that he had nothing to worry about in the first place. He turned around and bowed low one last time.

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

The King dismissed him with a ghost of a smile himself. They didn’t come around too often, but sometimes King Song had his moments. Jinhwan was, and always would be, grateful.

 

 

Jinhwan reached the infirmary in hopes that there’d be an update on Junhoe’s condition but alas, the young knight remained as unconscious as he was when Jinhwan had left him that morning. The advisor noted with worry that Junhoe did look a little paler, though. He hurriedly took out his lip salve from his robes and applied a healthy amount to Junhoe’s lips and hands- moisturizing him was the least he could do, after all. Jinhwan mentally berated himself for feeling his face heat up as he touched the younger. He couldn’t help it: even now, in the state he was in, Junhoe remained the most attractive man he’d ever laid eyes on.

“You really are hopeless.”

Jinhwan looked up in surprise to find Jiwon, armed with his signature smirk.

“Shut up.” The advisor snapped, trying and failing to not look embarrassed. “When on earth did you arrive?”

“Early enough to see you turn into a tomato while applying the salve on him.” Jiwon teased, approaching the bed. He looked at his fellow knight with a sad smile. They weren’t exactly the best of friends, but Jiwon would give his life for the other. “Did the doctor say three days?”

“He did.” Jinhwan answered, looking at the ceiling and trying not to cry.

Jiwon sighed, walking around the bed to place an arm around the elder’s shoulder.

“It is alright to cry, hyung.”

Jinhwan shook his head stubbornly.

“I’ve done far too much of that... I need to be strong.”

“You don’t _have_ to be anything.” The knight replied squeezed his shoulder affectionately. “I heard you were dismissed from Court earlier today. Take this time to be with yourself. This is bound to be difficult for you... trust me, I know.”

Jinhwan turned to him in awe. He had a deep respect for Jiwon and all the other soldiers who served Joseon fearlessly, time and time again. “How do you do it?”

Jiwon shrugged, completely transparent as always. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not perfect. I am still trying to cope; not just with Junhoe here, but from all that I see on the battlefield.”

Jinhwan scoffed quietly, but pondered the younger’s words. It made him feel a little better about himself, to know that he wasn’t being perceived as weak. And to know that he shouldn’t be thinking of himself that way, either.

“What helps,” Jiwon continued, turning Jinhwan to look right at him, “Is having a support system. People to talk to. Which you do, hyung, so do not hesitate to lean on us.”

Jinhwan nodded, pensive. He pulled Jiwon into a hug, and the knight let himself be pulled, grinning.

“Since when did you become so wise, hmm?” Jinhwan mumbled into the embrace.

“You know; _I_ was actually the first pick for royal advisor. But then I joined the army, so King Song had to find a replacement. That is when you were chosen.”

“Is that so?” Jinhwan laughed out loud, pushing the knight off playfully.

“‘Tis true.” Jiwon was doing his best to keep a straight face. “You may ask his majesty himself.”

“You are ridiculous.” The advisor chuckled, feeling better than he had in ages. He appreciated the younger so, so much. “Thank you, Jiwon.” He said quietly.

Jiwon squeezed his hand in response.

 

 

 

Jinhwan got the news when he was giving Yunhyeong his geography lesson that evening. The advisor’s jaw dropped and he stood stock-still for five seconds as the guard relayed the message. In a daze, he turned to his pupil to ask permission to be excused.

“Why are you still here?!” Yunhyeong had yelled at him before he could even get the words out. “Go on, go!”

And go Jinhwan did. He ran like a bat out of hell through the palace corridors, prompting strange looks from all that he passed. He supposed it wasn’t every day that you saw an advisor huffing and puffing his way through the palace like a madman.

He got to the hospital wing panting like a sick dog, making a mental note to ask Jiwon for a fitness routine later on. 

_“June!”_ Was all he could manage as he gasped for breath upon his entrance.

And surely enough, Junhoe, the gorgeous idiot, turned to face him looking utterly surprised.

“Hyung!” He called, as enthusiastically as he could for having woken up from a coma. His voice sounded scratchy, but by god was he _awake!_ “How are you?” Junhoe asked, all smiles.

_“How am I?!”_ Jinhwan had made his way to his bedside now, incensed as all the emotions he’d felt over the past two days rose to the surface. “I was worried _sick!”_ He yelled, eyes brimming with tears. His little outburst drew the attention of the infirmary nurses, at which he quickly bowed in apology, and turned to the wounded knight again, hastily wiping his eyes. “Junhoe, I... I am glad you’re awake.”

“...As am I.” Junhoe said, as softly as he could manage. He was equal parts touched and elated by the other’s reaction- Jinhwan _cared_ about him. He could see it in his misty eyes. “I get to bask in thy beauty once more, hyung.”

Jinhwan burst into teary-eyed giggles. “You are clearly still concussed.” The older laughed, dabbing at his eyes. He smiled and held the larger hand in front of him. “What happened? When did you wake?”

“Well…” Junhoe laughed, looking a little sheepish. “It is quite the story. The nurse said that my stomach grumbled once, then twice, and the next thing she knew I had apparently regained my consciousness.” He recounted, looking to the nurse on duty for confirmation. The nurse nodded in response, a long-suffering but amused look on her face.

“What he says is true. Have not seen anything like it in my twenty-five years here as a nurse. Not even five minutes had passed since his waking before he devoured a bowl of japchae.”

Jinhwan looked between Junhoe and the nurse in utter astonishment. The knight was really something else.

“...I cannot believe my ears.” Jinhwan said finally, pulling up a stool and taking a seat next to the bed.

“My hunger knows no bounds.” Junhoe replied proudly, patting his stomach.

“And I am glad for it.” Jinhwan laughed in response. It felt so good to converse with Junhoe again, to feel his hand in his, to see him all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like normal. Well, as normal as one could be after a battle. “Is there anything I can offer you? More food? Perhaps something to drink?” Upon further inspection, Junhoe _did_ still look rather pale and had appeared to have lost some weight too.

“Nothing just yet.” Junhoe shook his head, leaning back in his bed, suddenly feeling quite tired from all the sudden activity. “Only your company. May we... sit a while?” He asked shyly. Jinhwan was immediately enamored, and squeezed his hand.

“We may.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! This next month is super packed for me and I'm doing my best to write as much as possible when I have the time. I hope you guys are doing well! Thank you for reading <3 btw- any interest in a separate bobhwan au fic? I have this one specific idea that I just can't put out of my head!


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